Rise of a True Shield Hero - A Christmas Story
by theoneandonlyedster
Summary: Christmas story set in my AU Shield-Hero world. It's Christmas time and Fergus and his party are gonna go all out to make this the best Christmas ever! What will they get up to and what presents will they buy each-other? And what surprises lie in store for them? OCxRaphtalia. Xmas One-shot. (Make sure to read my first story before this one if you haven't done so already!)


**Hello there everyone and welcome to the Christmas one-shot set in my alternate Rising of the Shield Hero universe. For those who haven't read my first story, Rise of a True Shield Hero (Redux), I would highly encourage you to read that story first before coming to this one so that you understand some of the changes from the canon that appear in this story and where you'll get to know my OC Shield-Hero Fergus Ward.**

**Aside from that enjoy this little bit of fun that I wrote for Christmas. Expect quite a bit of holiday fluff between our heroes but especially between Fergus and Raphtalia. What presents will they buy each other? How will the people of Fergus' village celebrate Christmas? And what surprises will be in store? Read on to find out! As always I do not own Rising of the Shield Hero or any of its characters, locations, events or anything else related to the anime/manga/Light Novels. The only thing I own is my OC, Fergus Ward.**

Rise of a True Shield Hero Christmas One-Shot

_A few weeks after Fergus is made Lord of New Rurorona_

"Man this cold weather is really biting…" I said with a shiver as I walked. "Not only that but it's going to affect our food intake now that all of the fish around here have moved to icier waters…"

I had just been over to inspect our small dock where our fishing boats were harboured when I had been told the bad news by our fishing experts. They had told me they would keep trying as best they can over the next few days but aside from that, there was nothing else they could do. Right now I was currently walking back up the hill to the main area of the village.

"And I guess it'll be the same story with the hunting parties too, which means we'll have to stock up what food we have…JEEZ! That was a sharp one!" I let out a cry as a particularly strong breeze rushed past my body sending chills right up and down my body. Over the last few days, the weather had taken a turn for the worse. It had started with gloomy skies and zero sunlight before switching to rain showers, and after a day or two of non-stop rain, the weather had turned icy. Frost was starting to cover the grass and pathways all over the village, and through the gap in the valley where you could get into the village, an icy wind had wafted in bringing with it an added wave of cold weather.

"Everyone's going to be feeling it too…I might have to get those skilled in tailoring to make some cold-weather gear for those who have to work outside as well as the vulnerable-" My words were suddenly cut off as a soft hand reached up and grabbed my right hand, bringing it to my side as it was squeezed warmly by my companion.

"At this time of the year the temperature in Melromarc always drops considerably," Raphtalia spoke up from my side. She too was bundled in a cloak on top of her usual garb but was somehow able to keep a lot warmer judging by the warmth of her touch. "We'll have to make a lot of cold-weather preparations but I'm sure we can make it through." She continued optimistically.

"Yeah you're right and we'll have plenty of hands to make that happen," I replied as we made it to the top of the hill. "We'll have to stockpile wood for fires so that everyone can have a warm house, which sadly will mean more work for Keel and her teams. I'm sure she won't mind though and I'll make sure she has all the help she needs." As another blast of cold wind hit us I suddenly remembered something. "Tell me Raphtalia, how likely is it that we get snow?" I asked with a look at my companion.

"We haven't had snow in a few years, but it's always a possibility," she replied after a moment of thought before looking wistfully out over the sea. "I really hope it does as I would like to have a white Christmas…"

"In that case we'd have to get some shovels in to-" I stopped suddenly as I realised exactly what she had just said. "Wait a minute…did you just say Christmas?"

"Of course! Christmas happens at this time of year every year!" She replied, her eyes wide with excitement as she turned to look at me, a sudden frown replacing her excitement. "Hang on…do you know about Christmas as well?"

"We celebrate Christmas every year in my world, but it never crossed my mind that it would be celebrated here as well," I stated truthfully.

"My parents once told me that Christmas was a tradition spread by the past Cardinal Heroes as a day where families exchange presents with one another and enjoy a large meal together and that during the night before on Christmas Eve a man named Santa Claus flies through the sky on a sleigh and delivers presents to every house whilst everyone is asleep," Raphtalia explained. "Is that the same in your world?"

"Mostly, the bits about presents, Christmas lunch and Santa Claus happen exactly the same in my world," I replied. "_Seems like some of the past Heroes also come from our world and brought along our version of Christmas with it whilst leaving out the religious side of things…_" "However the origin story behind Christmas is a lot different…"

Spying a pair of rocks that were suitable for us to sit on I led her over and as we sat down I gave her a quick summary of the religious origins of Christmas, where one of the religions in our world believe that that was the day a special child called Jesus was born in a stable and that he was the Son of God who would spread God's word throughout the land and perform miracles as a sign that he truly was a divine figure, although why they specified it as the 25th December exactly I had no clue, nor did I know exactly when the tradition of gift-giving had begun, but it was now celebrated the world over as time where family and friends come together and exchanged gifts along with one or two other small traditions that I briefly glossed over…

"...although nowadays in my world, Christmas has lost much of it's meaning due to something called over-commercialisation…" I finished bitterly.

"I've never heard of that term before…what does it mean exactly?" Raphtalia asked curiously.

"I hope you never have to experience it for yourself but I'll give you the short version," I replied with a sigh. "A lot of the holidays we celebrate have lost most of their meaning as those in charge of large companies and advertisement flood the markets with holiday-themed goods charged at ridiculous prices. And since people will pay a lot of money to keep the old traditions afloat this makes them a lot of money, and of course since a lot of those items won't be used any other time of year, in my view it's a huge waste and totally takes away from what the holiday in question should be about…"

I took a moment to catch my breath before going on. "My family and I never brought into that mess thankfully. We focused more on spending time with one another as well as our extended family, and any gifts we brought were practical as well as what the receiver would enjoy. On top of that, we would make sure the meal we had would be just enough for those sitting at our table so that we didn't waste anything, and what we had left we would always wrap up and deliver to those less fortunate."

"No matter what world you are in, you always care more for others than yourself," Raphtalia said with a beaming smile as she took my hands in hers.

I smiled back at her as I squeezed her hands affectionately. "I could never be selfish, not even if I had the opportunity to do such," I responded genuinely. "I would share with any of my friends or those in need should they ask for it. But this year, there is one thing I am selfish about that I refuse to share with anyone."

"What is it?" Raphtalia asked with a confused tilt of her head.

In response, I pressed her hands to my lips and gave them a loving kiss which resulted in her face flushing a bright red. "You of course," I answered as I looked her dead in the eyes. "I wouldn't dream of sharing you with anyone. You are my angel and a constant shining star in my life, the one gift I will always keep."

She ducked her head in slight embarrassment but I could tell she was blushing, and no matter how many times she did it I always found it so adorable. Eventually she raised her head to look back at me, her warm red eyes sparkling once again with affection as she proceeded to straddle my lap, her arms wrapping once more around my neck. "I feel the same way," she replied. "It wouldn't matter how many presents I received or how delicious the meal was, because as long as I have you I have everything I already need." What that she leaned her head down as our lips met in a soft kiss.

"Even though we've grown up with two different versions of Christmas, they are so similar that it will be easy to combine them all into a unique celebration of our own," I said as we separated, my brain now in over-drive as a result of our conversation. "And since we are the Lord and Lady of New Rurorona, it'll be up to us to organise and co-ordinate Christmas for everyone here…" I couldn't help the sudden excitement bursting within me as I let out a wide grin. "Do you know what that means Raphtalia?"

"I'm not sure what you're getting at Fergus…" she answered hesitantly.

"It means we can go all out and make this Christmas celebration the best in Melromarc's history!" I said with growing enthusiasm. "No, scratch that, we'll make this the best one any world has ever seen!"

"That seems like a tall order Fergus, are you sure we can do that?" She asked, although judging by her facial expression she was getting as excited as I was.

"If the last few months have taught me anything it's that anything is possible if we all work together as a team," I replied determinedly. "As long as we have the determination and willpower to make it happen, I know we can do it. Will you help me Raphtalia?"

"I will always support you in whatever you choose to do Fergus," she replied instantly. "And I will do everything in my power to make sure it happens."

"Thank you babe. Your support always means the world to me," I said as I gave her one last kiss before getting to my feet, the cold weather all but forgotten due to the excitement and determination rushing through me. "Right then, let's get back to the village. I'll just need to inform Van of what's going on at the docks, and whilst I'm doing that, I want you to round up Filo, Keel and Rishia and have them meet us in our room so we can start making plans!"

"Right!" She replied determinedly, and with a new spring in our step, we linked hands once more as we resumed our journey back to the village.

§

"Are you serious?" Are we really going to be having Christmas here?!" Keel called out excitedly.

The five of us were currently in mine and Raphtalia's room above the town hall where I had just finished explaining what I had in mind to the rest of my party. I was sat on our bed brushing Filo's hair, Raphtalia was sat next to me whilst Keel and Rishia were sitting in chairs nearby.

"What's Christmas Master?" Filo asked.

"It's a festival where people exchange presents with each other and enjoy lots of holiday food," Raphtalia answered with a smile as Filo's eyes lit up with excitement.

"There's going to be lots of yummy food for me to eat?! I can't wait!" Filo exclaimed happily as we all let out a chuckle at her reaction including Rishia, and as I turned to look at my last party-member I couldn't help but be amazed at how well she had adapted to her sudden change in circumstances. Granted she had been a nervous wreck for the first few days, but after lots of encouragement and support from the others as well as the owner of the magic-shop she had started to come out of her shell, and whilst she was still quite shy most of the time she was also kind and generous, and even though she had her clumsy moments there was also a quiet air of determination about her, which I assumed was her taking my advice to get stronger and thus show Itsuki that he had been wrong to treat her the way he had.

"Rishia, you probably know more about the traditions of Christmas than any of us in this room," I addressed her. "Can you tell us if there are any traditions that I have missed in my explanation?"

"Well…in cities and towns all over Melromarc they usually put up large trees in the centre and decorate them, and it's on the branches of these trees that children hang a small piece of paper where they have written down what they want for Christmas," Rishia explained. "And the night before on Christmas Eve Santa Claus travels all over the world on his sleigh, dropping down the chimneys of each house and leaving the presents for the children under the trees they put up in their own homes."

"That sounds very similar to how Christmas works in our world, except for the part where the wishes are hung on trees. Instead, the children send letters containing these wishes to Santa Claus directly," I replied with a thoughtful nod. "Who usually plays the role of Santa for each village?"

"Well um…" Rishia stammered with a small blush before she giving me a shy look. "It is usually the highest-ranking male in a town or city who takes on the role…"

At Rishia's words, I saw three other pair of eyes turn to look in my direction. At the same time, I realised what that meant: I would have to play the role of Santa Claus. "Very well then, looks like I'll be changing jobs for one night only," I sighed. "We'll have to arrange a costume and a sleigh to make it seem real…"

"I can make the costume Fergus," Rishia spoke up instantly. "I know exactly what it looks like so it should be no problem."

"And if the hunters and I gather up as much wood as we can, we could easily get some of the craftsmen to make a sleigh for you," Keel added. "We'd just need to find something to pull the sleigh…"

"I'll do it! Let me pull the sleigh for you Master!" Filo called excitedly. "It'll just be like pulling my cart and I can fly as well! We can get all the presents delivered in no time!"

In the face of their excitement and enthusiasm I could hardly say no. "Okay then, I'll let you guys handle it," I conceded which caused them all to cheer apart from Raphtalia who suddenly burst into a fit of giggles.

"Are you okay Raphtalia?" Keel asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm sorry! It's just…I was imagining what Master Fergus will look like in a Santa outfit!" Raphtalia admitted in between her giggles.

"_She is going to pay for that comment later…_" "In terms of getting the presents into the houses we'll have to install chimneys on every roof in the village," I said, getting the conversation back on track. "I'll talk to Van about making that happen, and if we start promptly we can get that down reasonably quickly."

"I'll keep my eyes out during my next hunting trip for a tree we can use in the main square," Keel promised.

I gave her a quick thumbs-up before bringing up my next idea. "Back in my world families would usually sit around a large table and eat Christmas lunch together, which for those who don't know consists of roasted meat as the centre-piece which is usually served with potatoes, a mix of different vegetables and one or two sauces. I suggest we can keep that tradition, but since this will be the first Christmas in New Rurorona I want to go all out and make it memorable."

"What do you have in mind?" Rishia asked.

"I think we ought to have a large outdoor feast out in the square where food will be prepared for everybody, and as such everyone can celebrate Christmas together. How does that sound?"

Filo's mouth drooled at the prospect of all that food, so it was no surprise she instantly agreed to the idea which was followed by a nod from both Keel and Rishia. Raphtalia, however, was slightly more hesitant. "Do you think we'd be able to collect and prepare enough food for everyone in the time we have left?" She asked.

"It'll take a lot of work and we'd have to start straight away. On top of that we'd have to start cooking first thing Christmas morning in order to get everything ready in time," I admitted. "But I believe that the five of us, with help, can get it done." I then turned my gaze to Keel. "What's the current situation with the wildlife around the village?" I asked her.

"There aren't many animals around here at the moment since we've either hunted most of them or they've gone into hibernation," She responded promptly, her expression slightly downcast. "We've been doing the best we can but we're gathering less and less with each passing day. In addition, the plants and trees will soon stop bearing their produce due to the drop in temperature."

"I suspected as much since the fishermen said the same thing just today," I mused. "Keep doing what you can in the time you have left. Prioritise gathering meat and we'll make sure it's stored properly so that it will stay fresh until Christmas. That reminds me….Rishia, how long do we have until Christmas Day itself?"

"Two weeks." She replied

"Given how much we've got to do that's not a lot of time so we'll have to get cracking straight away in order to have enough food. I'll teleport to the capital in the morning and see what some of the vendors and traders might be able to provide us…"

"Um, Fergus…I have an idea that may help with that…" Rishia interrupted, a shy expression once more on her face. "My family and many others back in my home village are very rich. I'm sure if I wrote to them and asked politely they could help…"

I beamed at her. "If you can that would be a great help, thank you Rishia." This caused her to blush as I turned my head to address the others.

"As well as sorting out the food, I'll work with Van to sort out any supplies we'll need as well as arranging for each house to have a chimney. But I will also be counting on the four of you to do your part as well," I said, turning my gaze to Rishia initially. "As well as asking your village for supplies and making my Santa costume, would you also be able to find time to make as many cold-resistance clothes as you can? Since the weather is only going to get colder I want to make sure everyone is as warm as possible."

"I'm sure I'd be able to, but I might need help if we want to make clothes for everyone," she answered with a soft smile.

"I'm sure the tailor will help you along with several others if you ask them," I told her before turning to look at Raphtalia whose face, as it always did when I looked her in the eyes, blushed. "If I get the necessary supplies and provide you with outlines and drawings of what we need, can you take charge of decorating the square, the town hall and all the buildings surrounding it with Christmas decorations?" I asked her.

"I'd love to!" She replied happily, her resulting smile almost making me grow weak at the knees. It took all of my self-control to resist taking her in my arms and kiss her right there and then, for now at any rate, as I looked down at the small blonde girl on my lap. "Filo, do you think you can help Raphtalia with that?"

"Of course I will! I won't let you down, Master!" Filo had no such inhibitions as she flung her arms around my chest and hugged me warmly. I smiled as I hugged her back in gratitude before turning to look at Keel.

"And Keel…on top of sorting out the tree for the square, do you think you could take charge of getting the square itself ready as well? We'll need plates, cutlery, mugs, cooking utensils and enough chairs and tables to seat everyone. I'll get those for you, but I want you to do is make sure everything is set up in the right place. And I'll make sure you have as much help as you need as well…"

"You can count on me Fergus, I won't let you down!" She replied spiritedly.

"And I'll make sure you all have enough volunteers to help you with your various jobs, but I know if we all work together and to the best of our abilities, we'll make it happen," I finished as I grinned excitedly. "Now that the practical stuff is out of the way, we can move onto the exciting part: presents!" This caused everyone to let out a cheer. "I'll be sorting out the presents for all the children who write their wishes on the tree, but I thought it'd be fun for the five of us to buy each other presents as well as for Melty. And before you say anything yes I will give you each a small amount of money and whatever else you need for your presents. Just don't go too nuts okay?"

This got everyone excited at the thought of what they could get for one another, all except for Rishia who looked slightly downcast at my announcement. "What's wrong Rishia?" I asked gently.

"It's just…I haven't known you all for very long so…I'm not sure what to get for everyone…" She admitted.

"It doesn't have to be anything fancy or expensive, and as long it comes from the heart any gift would suffice," I reassured her. "But if you get stuck you can always come to me for advice unless it's my gift in which case ask Raphtalia."

"Thank you." She responded gratefully.

"As I said, if we all work together as well as I know we can, then this will be the best Christmas of not only our lives but the lives of everyone here," I spoke up determinedly, and as I looked around I saw four determined pairs of eyes looking back at me. "Are you all prepared to give it your all to make that happen?" The four cries of yes I got in response was all the affirmation I needed. "Right then, I suggest we all head to bed now and get as much sleep as we possibly can. We'll start our preparations in the morning." With those words, Filo, Keel and Rishia bid us good night as they left the room leaving me and Raphtalia alone once more.

"I guess that means we should head to bed as well," Raphtalia said as we moved the seats back against the wall.

"Indeed," I replied before turning to face her with an ever-growing smirk. "But before we do that…" Without warning I grabbed Raphtalia around the waist and flung her over my shoulder, causing her to let out a surprised shriek as I carried her over towards our bed.

"What are you doing Fergus?! Put me down!" She half-shouted, half-giggled.

"I'm going to make you pay for what you said about me looking funny in a Santa outfit," I responded as I gently threw her down on the bed. Before she could protest or react I quickly crawled on top of her and pinned her arms down with my hands so that she couldn't escape.

"W-What are you going to do?" She stammered nervously, her face blushing crimson due to our proximity to one another.

"Oh, nothing too sinister…but rest assured you aren't going anywhere until I give you a suitable punishment…" Before she could respond I leant down and started planting soft kisses on the side of her neck as I slowly made my way up to the area of skin between her neck and her ear, and as I pressed a kiss there she couldn't help but let out a soft moan of pleasure as she squirmed under my touch, which only intensified as I proceeded to suck and nip at the skin instead.

"No…please, don't stop.." She moaned as I pulled back.

"It's not a punishment if you get what you want," I told her with a smirk. "I'm the one in charge tonight, and I am going to make love to you however I see fit…" With those words I leant in and captured her lips in a passionate kiss which she instantly reciprocated, the prelude to our usual nightly routine of making out and snuggling.

§

Over the next two weeks, our preparations for New Rurorona's first Christmas got underway, and as I had suspected it was going to take a huge amount of work on our part. But thankfully my party and I weren't alone as several of the villagers, after hearing about our plans, were eager to help however they could and as result myself and the rest of my party had more than enough volunteers to help us with our tasks.

As well as making the preparations I had delegated for myself, I also had to continue dealing with the day-to-day business of running the village. Thankfully Van stepped up and helped me out by agreeing to take on most of my administrative duties so that I could focus on the Christmas preparations. This allowed me to take several trips to the capital via teleportation to not only sort out presents for my party-members but also to haggle with as many merchants as possible in the hope of securing as many supplies as we could get. Fortunately, Hickwaal had put in some good words for me with the rest of the merchant community, and as such a lot of them, for the right price, were happy to provide goods including food, materials and any other supplies we needed.

And whenever I was back in New Rurorona I co-ordinated with Van and several builders in order to ensure that every building in the village had a chimney in time for Christmas Eve.

And it wasn't just me who was hard at work as the rest of my party were keeping busy with the preparations I had delegated to them along with sorting out their own presents for the rest of us as well as Melty. As she had suggested during our meeting Rishia had written to her family asking for any aid they could provide, and her efforts bore fruit when her father and some of the other nobles from her village agreed to provide their surplus food and funds so that we could purchase more supplies in return for a future trade arrangement between our villages. Since that would beneficial to both parties I had zero problems in accepting their offer. And once that was sorted Rishia got to work making as many clothes with cold-resistance buffs as possible as well as my own Santa costume, and she was aided in her efforts by the tailor who had previously made Filo's dress as well as several volunteers who were also skilled in tailoring.

With the provisions and drawings I had provided her, Raphtalia got to work on making as many Christmas decorations as possible to not only furnish the town hall and square but also as many buildings as possible. The decorations she made included wreaths for the doors, garlands, baubles of various shapes and sizes, figurines, stockings and various other items of decoration, and just like Rishia she had her own group of volunteers to assist her, several of whom were children who were eager to help however they could. Once the decorations were all made they then got to work putting them in and around as many buildings as they could, and they were aided in this endeavour by Filo who used her Filolial form and wind magic to put up decorations at the highest points of the village.

Even though she had her work cut out for her, Keel undertook her tasks with her usual gusto and enthusiasm. Fortunately for her, she had plenty of assistance as Ake and their group of knights as well as the volunteers they were training said that they would take charge of making sure the square would be all set up for Christmas Day. And since I was ensuring they had all the supplies they needed, this allowed Keel to focus on organising as many hunting parties as she could in order to forage for as much food as they could from the surrounding wildlife and foliage as well as plenty of wood for fires.

And during one of their hunting trips they found a suitably sized tree for the children's wishes, and before long wishes were dangling off of every available tree branch alongside the decorations that Raphtalia and her team had made.

For two weeks everyone worked their asses off, fuelled by their determination to make this the best Christmas of their lives, and as such all of the preparations were done by the evening of Christmas Eve. The village square was filled with as many chairs and tables as possible that would allow everyone in the village to share the Christmas meal. Raphtalia's decorations were hanging off of every building in sight. Enough food and wood had been gathered and stored appropriately, and enough cold weather cloaks and clothing had been made for those who needed it most. All that was left to do would be to cook the Christmas meal first thing in the morning.

And since it was the evening of Christmas Eve it was now time for me to leave behind my role as the Shield-Hero for one night only and play the part of Santa Claus.

Once we were sure that every family in the village had settled down the night we made our move. With Filo patiently waiting outside the entrance to the town hall and Keel making sure all the presents I had purchased were loaded onto the sleigh, Rishia and Raphtalia assisted me as I changed into my Santa costume, and as I put on the last few items I had to admit to myself that Rishia had done a phenomenal job with it. The outfit fitted me perfectly and I was able to move around completely unencumbered, which would make dropping down every chimney that much easier. Once I was fully dressed I proceeded to model it for the girls who both squealed in delight saying that it looked great for me.

"...but it needs one more touch…" Raphtalia finished, and as she approached me she pulled out a fake beard she had made it and attached it to my chin with an accompanying kiss. "Don't take too long tonight…there'll be a Christmas gift waiting for you as soon as you get back…" She whispered in my ear.

I couldn't help but grin at her words. "I'll be looking forward to it…" I whispered back before turning to look in Rishia's direction. "Thank you for the costume and for all of your help over the past two weeks Rishia, I really appreciate it. You can head to bed now if you want."

"No problem Fergus, and I hope all goes well tonight. I'll see you both in the morning," she replied with a soft smile before taking her leave.

After making a few last-minute adjustments to the costume I made my way down to where Filo and Keel were waiting with the sleigh, arriving just as Keel was loading the last present onto the back of the sleigh. Filo, who was waiting patiently in front of the sleigh, waved at me with one of her wings as I approached them.

"Are we all ready to go Keel?" I asked her.

"Absolutely, all the presents are loaded and marked with the name of each child along with the number of the house they are staying in," she replied promptly as between us we tethered Filo securely to the front of the sleigh. "So all that's left for me is to wish you the best of luck with the night ahead! I'll see you both in the morning!"

"Thank you for all of your hard work Keel. We'll see you in the morning." With that Keel started making her way back to her house as I clambered into the sleigh, and after making sure I was sitting comfortably and that the presents were all secure I gave Filo the all-clear to proceed: "Alright then Filo, we're ready for take-off! Let's do this!"

"HERE WE GO!" She called out enthusiastically as she broke out into a quick trot, the sleigh following on behind her, and after she had built up enough speed she leapt into the air and with some powerful flaps of her wings launched herself, with myself and the sleigh in tow, into the night sky. After taking a few seconds to adjust herself, she changed trajectory and started making her way towards the first house of the night. And throughout the next few hours Filo and I were able to drop every present into the house of every child who had requested one, and what was even more amazing was that we managed to do so without disturbing any of the families.

Once we were done Filo and I made our way back to the entrance of the town hall where she once more executed a safe landing for both herself and the sleigh.

"Thank you so much for all of your help Filo, both tonight and throughout the past weeks!" I called out to her as I untethered her from the sleigh.

In response she wrapped me in a huge hug, her feathers wrapping tightly around my chest. "Merry Christmas Master Fergus!" She cried out happily.

"Merry Christmas to you as well Filo," I chuckled as she let me go. "Can you make sure the sleigh is put away before everyone gets up?"

"Of course Master, leave it to me!" With that she started pushing the sleigh towards the entrance of the village with the strength of her Filolial form, allowing me to re-enter the town hall and make my way up towards mine and Raphtalia's room where, according to Raphtalia, I would be getting an early Christmas present.

Judging by the way she had told me about it I had a few ideas what she might be planning, but nothing prepared me for what I found when I opened the door to our room and beheld exactly what my present was. Raphtalia was currently laying on the bed facing the entrance to our room clad in nothing but a strapless green skirt with an accompanying Christmas hat, her body posed in a seductive way to complete the gorgeous ensemble.

I'm pretty sure my nose had never bled so much in my life. In fact, I'm surprised I didn't faint from all the blood flowing out of it! Just when I thought she couldn't get any more beautiful…

"I'm guessing by your reaction that you like it…the tailor who made Filo's dress made it for me just for tonight…" she purred, patting the bed-space next to her invitingly.

"Raphtalia…" I eventually gasped out as I dazedly made my way over to the bed, unable to take my eyes off my girlfriend's body. "This…is the most amazing gift anyone has ever given me. And now I have a sudden desire to give you a gift of my own…if you'll let me…"

"If it's the same gift I am thinking of you are more than welcome to give it to me…so long as I can get you out of that Santa costume in the exact same way…" she replied seductively as I joined her on the bed.

"Oh absolutely…just make sure to be careful, Rishia put a lot of effort into making this costume-" These turned out to be the final words I would speak that night as Raphtalia suddenly pounced, wrapping herself around my chest as she started kissing me passionately, her hands already moving towards my chest with the clear intent to disrobe me as quickly as she could. Needing no invitation I quickly reciprocated, my hands wrapped securely around her back as they fumbled for the clasp that would divest her of her clothing.

And with that another passionate night ensued as we each gave the other an early 'Xmas present'.

§

"Fergus! Wake up Fergus! Come look outside!" Raphtalia's eager cries pulled me out of the contented sleep I was having

"Wha-what's going on?" I yawned as I blearily opened my eyes and briefly wondered why Raphtalia wasn't in my arms, but one look to the side made me realise that she was calling out to me from beside the bedroom window, her eyes wide and her tail swishing back and forth with excitement.

"You need to see this Fergus, come here!" She cried impatiently as she dashed over and forcibly pulled me up by the arm.

"Alright alright I'm up, what is it you wanted me to see?" I replied wearily as I allowed her to lead me over to the window, and as I looked outside and saw what had gotten her so excited all the tiredness I felt was swept away by the same levels of excitement and wonder that were practically glowing off of my girlfriend. After all, there was no mistaking the light flurry of snow falling outside the window and blanketing the town in a sheet of white.

"It's so beautiful..!" Raphtalia whispered as she joined me by the window, and as I turned to look at her I noticed tears running down her face, so I silently moved behind her and, wrapping my arms around her neck and holding her close, gently wiped her tears away as best I could as we continued watching the snow fall.

"It looks like we got a white Christmas after all, just like you wanted…" I murmured softly, only to frown as I heard her sob, fresh tears falling once more. "Babe? What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing's wrong Fergus…I'm just happy, so very happy right now…" She sniffed as she wiped away some of the tears with her own hand this time. "Not only is it snowing on Christmas Day, but I am also spending Christmas in my home village once more, surrounded by people I know and love, and at the side of the man I love with all my heart…I couldn't imagine a more perfect day…"

"Ditto," I replied, my heart warming up at her words as I proceeded to lean down and kiss her cheek. "Merry Christmas Raphtalia, and may it be the first of many for us…"

"Merry Christmas Fergus, and I hope I can spend every Christmas with you just like this…" She replied as took my hands in her own and gave them a soft kiss before turning to look at me. "Um…Fergus…I know this isn't what we planned but…can we exchange our presents for each other right now? Before we go and see the others I mean…"

"_Guess her present must be something only she wants me to see…_" "That's no problem at all Raphtalia, I'll just need to get your present quickly," I replied, and as Raphtalia made her way back over to our bed I quickly jogged over to the bag I had stored my presents in and, after withdrawing Raphtalia's present, joined her back on the bed. "Here you are Raphtalia…" I said as I handed her present over to her, and as she unwrapped it and saw what it was she let out a delighted gasp.

Since the sword she had currently been using up to this point was one I had quickly crafted using the Crafting System and as such had been made in a rush, I had really wanted to go all out and make sure her next blade was designed and crafted with great care and attention to detail. That's why I had gone and visited our old friend Erhard who was more than happy to make a custom sword for someone he cared a great deal about it. It was a blade made of the highest quality metals on hand, with a grip made solely to fit Raphtalia's hands and with a crimson hilt to match her attire, and on top of that Erhard had been able to add buffs for extra attack power and defence. It also came with its own custom brown scabbard, crafted especially to fit her blade.

"I love it…thank you so much Fergus…" she sobbed, and after putting it down carefully she flung herself at me as we embraced each other once more. "Now it's time for your present…" With those words, she unwound herself and trotted over to our wardrobe from which she retrieved a pair of scissors, and I just as I was wondering what on earth she needed them for she brought the scissors to her hair and carefully cut off a few strands, much to my astonishment.

"What are you doing Raph-?!" I almost shouted, only to be cut off when she pressed the strands into my hands determinedly.

"I-I want you to have them, Fergus…I want you to absorb them into your Shield…" she stammered shyly. "Hopefully it might unlock several benefits for you but if not…at the very least you will always have a part of me with you, no matter where you go…"

"Raphtalia.." I murmured, struggling to hold back my own tears as I pressed the hairs to my mouth and gave them a reverent kiss. "This is so sweet and thoughtful of you. But you never have to worry about being apart from me since I have no intention of ever letting you leave my side…" With those words, I carefully placed the hairs next to the green gem of my Shield and allowed them to be absorbed, and as soon as the process was complete a pop-up appeared in my window saying that I had access to two new Shields: The Comrade Shield and the Tanuki Shield. Once they were at maximum proficiency, the Comrade Shield would increase the amount of experience my party members would get, whilst the Tanuki Shield would provide a small stats boost for Raphtalia or any other Tanuki who I had in my party at any time in the future.

"Raphtalia, thank you so much…" I finally said as I turned to stare into her eyes once more, once again losing myself in the beauty and tenderness that was held behind them. "I will treasure you, and these gifts, for the rest of my life…" With that, I leant over and captured her lips with my own once more. There was no need for words right now as we poured all the feelings we had for another into this simple act.

I wish we could have stayed like that for a long while yet, but sadly we didn't have the time. We had a Christmas meal to prepare after all, so we after holding the kiss for a short while we proceeded to quickly get changed before leaving our room and heading down into the lounge area where Filo, Keel and Rishia were waiting patiently for us with their bags of gifts. After we exchanged Christmas greetings and hugs to one another we got down to the business of unwrapping the presents we had for one another, except for Melty's presents which we left in a separate bag off to the side.

I received a blanket stuffed with Filolial feathers from Filo which turned out to be the perfect size for mine and Raphtalia's bed along with a book from Keel that contained a wealth of information about all the different sub-species of demi-humans. And from Rishia I received a new dark green cloak complete with a hood and a hem made up of black-coloured feathers that fitted me perfectly.

Raphtalia received a pair of pillows from Filo that just like my blanket were stuffed with Filolial feathers (Filo later confessed to me that she had visited Fitoria and asked for a small donation of feathers for the presents which the Filolial Queen was more than happy to give). She was also gifted a new pair of leather boots from Keel and a hair-brush and comb from Rishia.

"I'll be sure to put that to use over the next few days," I commented causing Raphtalia to blush.

Filo, much to her delight, received several bags of snacks from myself (which were Christmas-themed), Raphtalia (which were filled with some of her favourite treats) and Rishia (which she had gotten from her home village). I also had another present for her which I promised I would show her later, and she was also gifted with some new claws for her talons from Keel to replace the original ones she had already worn out.

Speaking of Keel, she received some new hand-protectors from me with a buff to improve her accuracy, along with a whole range of fishing equipment from Raphtalia, several arrows fletched with her feathers from Filo and lastly an assortment of arrows that were enchanted to inflict various status ailments on their targets from Rishia.

Last of all was Rishia whose gift from me were several new pieces of furniture I had crafted by my own hand to help furnish her small home. Along with that was my old grimoire that Raphtalia gave her along with some sewing equipment from Filo, and as for Keel, she gave her a rapier with a light green hilt that had also been forged by Erhard and was enchanted with small buffs to her spell power and mana pool.

Judging by the squeals of delight and the number of hugs that passed between us as we unwrapped each present, it was safe to say that everyone was delighted with the gifts we had received. But we couldn't take too long to enjoy them as after we had exchanged our gifts we all made our way out of the town hall out to the village square, and as we stepped down we saw that lots of people had already gathered in anticipation for today's events, and as we were exchanging greetings with them all of the children came rushing up to us, excitedly brandishing the Christmas gifts they had received from Santa. After spending a short amount of time marvelling at their toys and in some cases playing with them we made our excuses so that we could start preparing the Christmas meal.

Before long myself, Raphtalia, Keel and an army of volunteers were currently standing over a long row of pots, pans and saucepans in which we were cooking up meat, vegetables and everything else we would need to feed the crowd that was gathering in the square. Now I knew how Jesus must have felt when he had to feed the 5,000 people who had come to listen to his sermons, but unlike him, I couldn't pray for the food to be magically multiplied. But thankfully the months I had spent preparing food for myself and my companions whilst we were on the road allowed me to keep on top of what I was doing.

And since cooking all of the food was going to take a lot of time, Van and several others had arranged for games and activities to keep the crowds occupied until the food was ready. This included story-telling, ball games, puppet shows and many more activities that were more than enough to pass away the time, along with one or two bonus events that were being organised by my companions. Filo alternated her time between playing with the children and giving them rides on the back of her Filolial form whilst Rishia, the owner of the magic shop and several others who were skilled magic-casters put on magic displays that had all of the children and even some of the adults marvelling in awe.

Eventually midday came around, and it was at that time I announced that the first batch of food was ready which prompted most of the children to come dashing over eagerly to try out the food, and thanks to the efforts of all the volunteers we were able to ensure all of the children as well as the adults who came after them had a sizeable portion. Fortunately, we had cooked more than enough food so we had some to spare.

Which I was extremely grateful for considering what happened next. I was just in the process of doling out some meat to one of the villagers when I heard an amused yet familiar voice call out:

"This all looks absolutely wonderful. Mind if we join in Lord Fergus?"

"_I know that voice! But surely she can't…_" I thought frantically as I quickly looked up "_OH GOOD LORD SHE IS HERE!_" For standing at the edge of the square was none other than Queen Mirellia with a small entourage of guards. And it wasn't just me who was surprised, everyone in the village was astonished to see the Queen of Melromarc standing in our village. Leaving the rest of the volunteers to serve the rest of the food I quickly waved the rest of my party and Van over as I made a rapid bee-line towards where the Queen was standing.

"Your Majesty, we are honoured to have you in our humble village…" I addressed her reverently as we all knelt before her. "And I apologise for not being able to greet you properly but truthfully we had no idea you would be coming…"

"No apologies needed Lord Fergus. The truth is I hadn't decided on coming until yesterday," She responded kindly whilst motioning for us to get to our feet. "And after hearing what you had planned I was curious so I decided to come and see for myself. And most of all, someone very dear to me was very insistent that we come…"

"FILO!" I heard a familiar voice cry out as a small figure rushed past the Queen and flung herself into the arms of the small blonde, who with a loud squeal of "MEL!" returned the hug with as much enthusiasm.

But Melty wasn't the only one who had come along. Once we had all finished greeting our old friend another familiar figure stepped out from behind the Queen.

"MISTER ERHARD!" Raphtalia and Keel cried out as they both ran up and gave our favourite blacksmith an enthusiastic hug.

"Merry Christmas little ones!" He replied with an amused chuckle as he wrapped his muscled arms around the pair of them.

"Merry Christmas Erhard," I said with a smile as I went up and shook his hand after Raphtalia and Keel had disentangled themselves from his embrace. "But what brings you all the way out here?"

"The Queen heard about all the business I've been doing for you and invited me to join her. From what I can see I'm glad I've come, looks like you've been doing very well for yourself kid," he replied with a smirk. "Never would have guessed from our first meeting that you'd one day become a Lord but if anyone deserves it after everything you've been through and all you've done, it's you, Fergus."

"That's very kind of you to say," I said warmly before turning to look at the Queen. "Any more surprises you want to spring on me?"

"Well it's funny you should say that…" She said with an amused grin as she stood aside, and as she did so the rest of my party and I couldn't help but gasp in astonishment. For the two people standing before us were some of the last people I had ever expected to show up here: Ren and Motoyasu. And as the five of us stared at them completely dumbfounded the Queen, Melty, Erhard and the soldiers chuckled at our reaction.

"Not to sound rude or anything but…what are you guys doing here?" I asked after getting over my initial shock.

"Are you kidding? It's Christmas, no way we were gonna miss out on it! And when we heard what you were planning for a Christmas feast…well that just convinced us even further!" Motoyasu replied, smiling at me genuinely for the first time in a long time before turning his lustful gaze on Filo. "And of course I wouldn't miss out on spending time with my darling Filo…!"

"I'm in a charitable mood because it's Christmas Motoyasu but even my kindness has limits…" I growled. "Say one more word and Filo's kicking you out the hard way…" This instantly caused Motoyasu to shut his mouth. "Good boy. Filo? If Motoyasu tries that again you have my permission to kick him out of this village…painfully…"

"Okay!" Filo replied with a cheeky wave at Motoyasu as he gulped in response, his hands moving protectively over his nether regions.

"What about you Ren, what brings you here?" I asked the Sword Hero.

"The same reasons as Motoyasu honestly, minus his strange obsession with your party member…" he replied whilst shooting Motoyasu an amused look. "Not only that but I was curious about the progress of your new village."

"Well you'll have plenty of time to check that out whilst you are here," I replied, my gaze turning dark as I looked back at the Queen. "And I'm guessing by Itsuki's absence he wasn't invited?"

"He was not, and even if I had invited him I doubt he would have accepted." She replied curtly.

"She's right," Motoyasu agreed with a frown. "When I told Itsuki about it later he didn't give two shits, telling me that it wasn't his concern if I wasted time with some silly Christmas party since he had better things to do."

"Ever since we got back from Cal Mira Itsuki's hardly spoken to any of us," Ren spoke up. "He spends all his time with the rest of his party who refuse to let anyone else go near him, not even the two of us."

"The idiot genuinely believes only he and his party can defeat the Waves!" Motoyasu followed up with a grimace. "Has he already forgotten that all of the Heroes are needed to fight back the Waves?!"

"He's allowed all the praise and adulation he gets from the people and the rest of his party to go to his head, and as a result, he genuinely believes he is better than all of us and that he is the only true Hero. If it wasn't for the fact we need him to beat the Waves I wouldn't bother with him…" I muttered darkly as Rishia let out a muffled cry, no doubt remembering how badly Itsuki had treated her after Cal Mira. "But make no mistake about it, neither Itsuki nor the rest of his party will ever be welcome in my village." I then shook my head. "But now's not the time for dark thoughts, it's Christmas Day! And since you are all here, on behalf of the rest of my party and everyone in the village, I would like to humbly invite all of you here to join us if that is what you wish. The food is all ready to go and there is plenty available."

"We would be delighted Lord Fergus, please lead on," The Queen replied, and with accompanying nods from Mel, Erhard, the other Heroes and her guards we all made our way back into the square where everyone else was waiting in nervous anticipation, but after the Queen gently reassured them all she was only here to share in the Christmas feast they all returned to what they had been doing before. Since Raphtalia and I had to take charge of the cooking, Van and several of the more prominent demi-humans looked after the Queen and her entourage and updated her on the progress of the village whilst Keel made sure Erhard had everything he needed. As for Filo and Melty, they were already making up for the time they had been apart from one another.

As for the other Heroes, they were swarmed by a crowd of children who were eager to meet the other Cardinal Heroes and admire their weapons which brought out a side of Motoyasu that I never knew existed. He was absolutely brilliant with the kids, making sure that they all got a chance to hold his Spear as well as answering all the questions they had with a warm and approachable smile. As for Ren, it was rather unsurprising that he was decidedly uncomfortable with all the attention he was getting, but thankfully Rishia, Ake and several of the knights picked up on his discomfort and rescued him much to his relief. Seeing all our guests occupied allowed me and Raphtalia to concentrate on the cooking, and as the meal progressed everyone, including our guests, was able to have a full meal which at the end of the day was exactly what I had aimed for…well that and making sure everyone had a good time which judging by the smiles on everyone's faces was definitely the case.

Once the meal was finished and everything was cleaned up all of the villagers took their leave but not before thanking me and the rest of my party for a delicious Christmas meal. Before long it was my party and me along with Melty, the Queen, her guards, the other Heroes and Erhard standing in the now deserted square.

"Hey Filo, whilst I remember can you fetch Melty's presents please?" She nodded and ran off back towards the town hall.

"Oh that reminds me, I've got presents for you guys as well!" Melty exclaimed, and with a wave behind her one of the guards brought forward a small sack containing our presents which were as follows: She had given me a small collection of books detailing the history of Melromarc and all of its past rulers. For Raphtalia a small collection of formal dresses all made to size. As for Keel, she gave her a book all about the famous (and infamous) hunters and archers in Melromarc's history, and lastly for Rishia, she gifted her a bracelet that provided buffs to her spell power and mana pool. And when Filo returned she gifted her a small silver crown made for her human form.

"Before you open your presents Mel, there's something I want to show you both…" With that, I led the two girls over to a small building at the edge of the square.

"What's this for Fergus?" Melty asked with confusion, with Filo giving off a similar vibe judging by her expression.

"This is my Christmas present to the both of you," I replied. "Your very own house. It has a bedroom, bathroom and all the amenities you need, plus plenty of space for you to play around in." This caused the girls' eyes to light up in excitement as I let out a chuckle. "Tell you what, why don't you two go and check it out and open Mel's presents at the same time." This got their instant agreement as Melty dragged both her sack of presents and Filo towards their new house as I returned to the others.

"Speaking of presents I got a little something for you as well," Erhard said as two of the Queen's soldiers lugged over a box containing several metals along with other materials that could be used for crafting armour and weapons. As for the Queen, she promised a small donation of surplus materials from the capital such as wood, seeds and foodstuffs.

"Since we didn't know we weren't coming until earlier this morning we didn't have time to get you any presents…" Motoyasu admitted hesitantly.

"That's okay," I replied. "I was going to give you your presents when I next saw you guys, but you two being here allows me to give you your presents in person." With that Raphtalia and Keel came froward with the presents I had prepared for them. For Ren, I'd had a custom sheath made for his Legendary Sword that came with an enchantment that would allow him to breathe underwater, and for Motoyasu I had prepared a brand new cod-piece made from the most comfortable metal I was able to acquire for the next time Filo or any other Filolial kicked him there, and as he was fitting it I assured him I'd had the metal tested so that it would stand up to Filo's more powerful kicks.

Speaking of Filo, she and Melty reappeared at that exact moment. "Filo, do you want to give Motoyasu your present as well…"

"Okay…" She said nervously as Rishia handed the gift, which I had convinced the Filolial to make for Motoyasu as a small peace offering, to her which she proceeded to give to Motoyasu, another pillow stuffed full of Filolial feathers, most of which were her own. Once he heard this Motoyasu's eyes lit up as he then proceeded to hug the pillow tightly.

"Thank you my lovely Filo!" He exclaimed happily. "Now I'll have a piece of you with me at all times…"

"Master…" Filo moaned.

"Go ahead…" I sighed, prompting Filo to change to her Filolial form and give Motoyasu another firm kick in the crotch which sent him and the pillow flying towards the entrance to the village. "And now we know the cod-piece works!" I exclaimed, causing everyone to laugh heartily. And after I had repaired the damage to Motoyasu's nether regions with my healing magic and Melty had thanked us for her presents, the Queen and the others all thanked us for a wonderful meal and a very enjoyable Christmas Day before bidding us farewell, and as they took their leave we waved them off from the entrance to the village.

§

"So then Raphtalia, how did you enjoy our first Christmas together?" I asked Raphtalia as we got ready for bed at the end of the day.

"I did thank you, Fergus," she replied as she let her hair down before slipping into her night-gown. "It was so special to spend it with my friends and loved ones, but most of all I loved spending every second of it with you…"

"Of course you did…" I chuckled as I finished changing into my night-clothes before climbing into our bed, now furnished with the blankets and pillows that Filo had given us with Raphtalia joining me a short while later.

"And what about you Fergus, did you enjoy today as well?" She asked as she snuggled into my side as usual.

"I did indeed," I replied as I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and held her close. "And what made it even more special was that everyone in the village along with our surprise guests had an amazing time as well. I still can't believe that Ren and Motoyasu showed up as well!" I chuckled before planting a kiss on the side of her head. "But what made it perfect was getting to spend it with you and seeing you so happy."

"I'm always happy whenever I'm with you Fergus," she said as she lifted her head to look into my eyes. "Every day I spend with you is the best time of my life."

"Ditto," I echoed as I leaned over and captured her lips for another passionate kiss. "Merry Christmas Raphtalia."

"Merry Christmas Fergus," she replied as she laid her head back down and curled into me once more, and before long she was fast asleep. And it wasn't long before I fell asleep also after reflecting on one of the best Christmases I had ever heard, with my last thought being that I was already looking forward to the ones to come.

**I hope you all enjoyed my holiday tale and all the surprises that were thrown in. Sorting out the presents was the hardest thing about this tale so I spent a good few days planning them out. Some of them were easy whilst others were more difficult, and I want to thank everyone who gave me ideas and suggestions for the presents. And rest assured these presents will exist in my AU Shield-Hero timeline.**

**What does the future hold for me as a writer? Well rest assured there will be stories coming in 2020, but I'd tentatively say not to expect anything until at least February or possibly even March. Reasons for this are that because my next story is based in the Attack on Titan world, one which I love, and as such I really want to make sure I get that right. Also, we're getting a new puppy at the end of January so I'll have to allow a lot of time to get her settled in, house-trained and all that. As such if I do start a story in February or March updates won't be too regular until the pup is settled. After that I can start writing regularly again.**

**And as I stated in its last author's note the chapter corrections for my first story will be coming in the New Year as well. I've currently done up to chapter 7 so far, and once I hit about chapter 10 I'll start applying them to the story itself**

**So until my next story, this is theoneandonlyedster signing out for now and I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and an awesome New Year, and I will see you all in 2020! **


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